How did the La Belle sink?

2 years ago

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In 1686, La Belle, the one remaining expedition ship, wrecked in a storm and sank to the muddy bottom of Matagorda Bay where it rested undisturbed for over 300 years.

What caused the La Belle to sink?

Although La Belle was able to easily navigate the pass into the Bay, the Aimable was grounded on a sandbar. A bad storm prevented them from recovering more than food, cannons, powder, and a small amount of the merchandise from the ship, and by March 7 she had sunk.

How did they excavate La Belle?

A double-walled cofferdam was built around the sunken ship in 1996, allowing archaeologists to pump water out of the wreck site and excavate La Belle almost as if it were on dry land.

Where is La Salle’s last ship found today?

The ship instead sailed into Matagorda Bay, only to sink in 1686 where it was found 300 years later and underwent an extraordinary excavation and preservation beginning in 1995. La Belle now is at the center of the Museum’s first-floor exhibition La Belle: The Ship That Changed History.

How long was the La Belle in the water?

After spending more than three centuries in the water, La Belle’s timbers had become so waterlogged it was almost impossible for them to retain any shape once on dry land. To strengthen the wood and preserve it, the restoration team individually “freeze dried” each segment at the lab.

What happened to the Belle ship?

In 1686, La Belle, the one remaining expedition ship, wrecked in a storm and sank to the muddy bottom of Matagorda Bay where it rested undisturbed for over 300 years.

When did La Salle ship sink?

January 1686

The artifacts are well preserved, having been covered in the sand and mud of Matagorda Bay. The smallest of the four ships in the expedition, the Belle sank in January 1686, while La Salle was exploring eastern Texas.

What items were found on the Belle when it was excavated La Salle?

Coils of rope, for example, were tantamount to an entire archeological excavation. Inside the sediments encasing the rope were hidden rat bones, insect parts, cockroach egg cases, hair, textiles (grosgrain ribbon, silk thread from a buttonhole), a wood button, and individual glass beads.

What happened to La Salle’s colony?

As conditions deteriorated, La Salle realized the colony could survive only with help from the French settlements in Illinois Country to the north, along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. His last expedition ended along the Brazos River in early 1687, when La Salle and five of his men were murdered during a mutiny.